Tag Archives: Jack Whitaker

*Featured/Spotlights, Driving, Show Jumping

The World’s Best in Action on Day Three of The London International Horse Show

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Great Britain’s Tokyo 2020 individual gold medalists Ben Maher and Explosion W took centre stage in a dedicated celebration of his Olympic success. With the crowd on its feet, the pair left the arena to Alesso’s Heroes, a fitting tribute to their outstanding achievement.

The FEI Driving World Cup presented by Eurofip International came to a thrilling conclusion with World No. 1 Boyd Exell coming out on top once again.

It was a busy day for the Show Jumpers, opening with The LeMieux Six Bar, which was shared between Alfie Bradstock and Max Kühner, who both produced faultless performances across the five rounds. World No. 4, Martin Fuchs, made it a London International Horse Show 2021 treble in The Global Herbs Snowflake Stakes, with The Longines Christmas Cracker going to XX.

Other notable highlights include wins for Jessica Clarehugh with Avonwolf Beanies Dizzy Dora in The Kennel Club Dog Agility Stakes Finals, and Robert Murphy receiving the Ella Popely Award, presented each year in recognition of the rider between the ages of 18 and 25 who has shown the qualities of being a true sportsman or woman: representing the sport well, acting as a team player, and encouraging others to excel.

EXCELLENT EXELL STRIKES AGAIN

The FEI Driving World Cup presented by Eurofip International saw the top three Drivers go through to a drive-off which had the crowd on the edge of their seats. Germany’s Mareike Harm set the pace with an accurate round, finishing with clear in a time of 143.70. Koos De Ronde from The Netherlands was second in and put in an impressive performance to cross the line in 137.25 seconds; however, with four penalties to add, his score of 141.25 left the window open for last to go, Boyd Exell. The Australian was down on the time in the first half; however, a spectacular second section saw him make up over three seconds with no penalties to add, to win by a wide margin.

Exell said: “This is such a fabulous arena; the sound system is great, the crowd sound even clearer, and they are really with you for every turn. We had a change from yesterday; we were resting one of the wheelers as he had done three shows in a row. It was a tactic because we are wildcards. Annabel and Simon Brooks-Ward invited me to be here, so it’s a chance to do well but also to try some different things and it worked out today.”

Great Britain’s Daniel Naprous added: “I just want to say thank you to The London International Horse Show for being brave enough to put on the event and give us somewhere incredible to compete at. The atmosphere has been amazing tonight and I am so grateful to be here.”

JACK’S THE KING OF THE PACK

Nine combinations went through to the jump-off of The Longines Christmas Cracker. Eager to set an unattainable target, the first four to go against the clock all picked up penalties en route. Great Britain’s Jack Whitaker was the first to post a clear, jumping a smooth but relatively conservative round aboard Valmy de la Lande to ensure his place in the prizes. With those who followed also accumulating faults in their attempts to increase the pace, Finland’s Noora Forsten was rewarded for her tactics in jumping a steady clear round, finishing in second, with Harry Charles back in third, the fastest of the four faulters.

A delighted Whitaker said: “It’s difficult to put into words to be honest. I’ve been wanting to compete here since I was a little kid. I’ve been coming to this show for as long as I can remember; it’s what I’ve always dreamed of and I got lucky tonight. It wasn’t a great jump-off course for me tonight, and so when I saw the ones ahead of me knocking jumps down, I thought I might get away with just jumping a nice clear, and I did.”

The world’s best Show Jumpers battled it out in The Global Herbs Snowflake Stakes. The top 10 from the first round went through to the jump-off, carrying forward any penalties incurred. The first to secure the coveted first double clear, Austria’s Max Kühner, set the pace of 39.28 seconds; however, Martin Fuchs, already a double winner at the Show this week, pulled out all the stops to take the lead with an impressive time of 36.20 aboard Tam Tam du Valon.

The Swiss World No. 4 was looking hard to beat. Dutchman Harrie Smolders came close with a beautifully smooth round in a time of 37.72, as did Germany’s Christian Ahlmann; their efforts were only good enough for third and second place, respectively, leaving Fuchs with his third London International Horse Show 2021 victory.

The Lemieux Six Bar provided top-class entertainment. 13 starters lined up to face the six-obstacle course, run over a knock-out format, whereby those jumping clear in the first rounds went through to face the increasingly imposing course. Just two combinations made it to the fifth round, with the final fence standing at an incredible 1.90m – Austria’s Max Kühner riding EIC Coriolis des Isles and Great Britain’s Aflie Bradstock aboard H. d’Or.

Up first, Kühner put on a foot perfect performance to secure his place at the top of the leaderboard and placing the pressure on Bradstock. The Brit rose to the occasion with a fine display of athleticism to match Kühner’s feat and share the honours, much to the delight of the home crowd.

Celebrating his first London International Horse Show victory, Bradstock said: “It’s amazing just to even compete here, and to win something is a real dream come true. This horse is a Puissance specialist, and the Six Bar was a something extra that we thought we may as well give a go while we’re here. I never expected him to do that, but with the support of the audience he just got better and better. The crowd was fantastic; to have the home crowd cheering like that was unbelievable.”

Kühner added: “I’m really enjoying the Show; it’s fantastic because the crowd is still the same; they give us such a boost; it almost feels like we have wings. The London crowd really is stunning;S it was really special. My horse is only nine, but he is incredibly talented already, and has achieved a lot this year. He’s done a great job today and I have a good feeling about tomorrow too.”

More information about The London International Horse Show can be found here.

For more information, please contact:
Gayle Jenkins / rEvolution / gjenkins@revolutionworld.com

Training/Clinics

London International Horse Show Riding Academy Returns for 2021

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The London International Horse Show, set to take place at ExCeL London from 16 to 20 December, together with The Ebony Horse Club, has facilitated the return of the ‘London International Horse Show Riding Academy’. The Academy, which was initiated in 2019, aims to introduce disadvantaged children to the wide range of career opportunities within the equestrian industry.

12 teenagers from The Ebony Horse Club, aged 13-18, attended the event and gained invaluable experience. Attendees had the opportunity to meet top riders and equestrian officials, learn and engage, and receive advice and guidance on possible career paths. For many, the highlight of the day was a riding lesson from top, young international Show Jumping rider Jack Whitaker, the latest star from the Whitaker family dynasty. Students were also given the opportunity to spend time with multiple dressage Paralympic champion Natasha Baker MBE and learn about her journey and successes, as well as viewing her many Olympic medals.

Participants also benefited from an informative talk from BEF Head of Communications, Winnie Murphy, who spoke about the various career opportunities within equestrianism, beyond riding, and the pathways available to kick-start their chosen vocations.

The London International Horse Show recognises the importance of supporting and reaching out to the less privileged local communities to inspire and advise children of how to further their passion of equestrianism. The 2021 event had mental health as a central theme, both keeping in the best state for competition and the role that horses can play in improving a person’s mental health. The London International Horse Show along with The Ebony Horse Club strongly believe in importance of horses in improving communication, empathy, and adaptability.

Speaking during the event, Whitaker said: “It’s been great to be involved in today’s event. I’ve never been to this part of London before, and to see such a great charity in the heart of the City and see the opportunities they provide young people is amazing. It’s brilliant that The London International Horse Show has brought everyone together and used their platform to support the local community in this way. The Show always goes above and beyond and I have really enjoyed it and learnt a lot myself too.”

Baker MBE added: “It’s great to be here at the Ebony Horse Club and be a part of The London International Horse Show Riding Academy. I’ve been here to talk about my story and my experiences and hopefully educate and inspire the kids that are here today to learn more about equestrian sport.”

Show Director, Simon Brooks-Ward, said: “The London International Horse Show Riding Academy is so important to us. With this initiative we hope to widen accessibility and participation to the equestrian industry to those individuals and communities who have more barriers to the sport. The Academy enables a platform in which children can learn about how create a career within the industry and we hope the children were inspired from the day.”

Following the activity, Amel, a member of The Ebony Horse Club, added: “I had the best time at the London International Horse Show Riding Academy. I loved having a lesson with Jack, he gave lots of useful advice on how to improve my riding. It was so inspiring meeting Natasha, and seeing her medals was amazing and I really learnt a lot from Winnie! I can’t wait to go to The London International Horse Show this Christmas!”

More information about The London International Horse Show, including how to buy tickets, can be found here.

For more information, please contact:
Gayle Jenkins / rEvolution / gjenkins@revolutionworld.com

*Featured/Spotlights, Show Jumping

Jack Whitaker Victorious in the Audi Prize

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Photo: Rolex Grand Slam / Peggy Schröder.

Forty-one horse and rider combinations from 15 nations made up the start list for the feature class on Day 2 of The Dutch Masters 2021 – the 1m55 Audi Prize. The star-studded line-up – which included former Rolex Grand Slam Live Contender, Philipp Weishaupt, 20-year-old rising British star and the next generation of show jumping talent, Jack Whitaker, and the on-form American, Laura Kraut – promised global equestrian fans watching online and on television a masterclass in show jumping skill and horsemanship.

After 10 starters, Kevin Staut and his 12-year-old bay mare, Visconti Du Telman, were the only pair to go clear, proof that course designer Louis Konickx had set a tough 13-obstacle, 16-effort test for both horse and rider. The Frenchman was soon to be joined in the jump-off by the only rider to have ever won the prestigious Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping title, Scott Brash, who steered his talented 12-year-old stallion, Hello Vincent, effortlessly around the Brabanthallen’s stunning arena. Current world number one-ranked Swiss rider Steve Guerdat also went clear, setting up a scintillating and fascinating 11-horse jump-off.

Second to go in the jump-off – a demanding seven-obstacle challenge – Brash was the first of the 11 riders to go double clear, setting off at blistering pace, navigating the course with typical precision, and stopping the clock on 36.16 seconds, a target that looked tough to beat. With just two additional riders managing to go double clear – Marlon Modolo Zanotelli from Brazil and German Christian Kukuk – it appeared as though the Scotsman had proceedings sewn up. However, Jack Whitaker had other things on his mind, and full of confidence, the Yorkshireman and his black mare, Scenletha, shaved a decisive 0.37 seconds off Brash’s time. Whitaker will have watched last to go Kent Farrington with his heart in his mouth, but the American was unable to topple him, eventually slotting into second place.

Thrilled with his win, Whitaker commented, “The feeling is fantastic! It’s what everyone comes here to do, and it’s what I came here to do, but amongst some of these world-class riders it’s a bit surreal when you win, so I’m a bit stuck for words, to be honest – it’s fantastic! It’s my first 5* win, and it hasn’t sunk in. But as I say, it’s what you come here to do, and I knew it was just a case of when it was going to eventually happen, and it finally has.

“Scenletha is unbelievable; she’s such a nice horse. She’s so consistent and she’s got a lovely character, but she’s also feisty. Tonight, she fought for me a bit, and I can’t thank her enough. She’ll get plenty of polos and pats later!

“I’d just like to say thank you very much to the young Riders Academy for putting me in this position, and for everything they’ve done so far. I just hope that they can continue supporting and helping young riders like me.”

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